Which statement about the hydrologic cycle is correct?

Which statement about the hydrologic cycle is correct?

• A. The molecular formula for water is HO2.
• B. The hydrologic cycle is the natural exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere.
• C. Water always exists as a solid at room temperature.
• D. Surface water comes exclusively from the ocean.

Answer: (B)

The hydrologic cycle describes how water moves continuously among the earth’s reservoirs—the atmosphere, surface waters, and groundwater—through processes like evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. This ongoing exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere is why the statement is correct: it reflects the natural movement and transfer of water rather than creation or destruction of it. The other statements don’t fit: water’s chemical formula is H2O, not HO2; water at room temperature is typically a liquid rather than always a solid; and surface water isn’t sourced only from the ocean—precipitation, runoff, rivers, lakes, and groundwater discharge all contribute.

The hydrologic cycle describes how water moves continuously among the earth’s reservoirs—the atmosphere, surface waters, and groundwater—through processes like evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. This ongoing exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere is why the statement is correct: it reflects the natural movement and transfer of water rather than creation or destruction of it. The other statements don’t fit: water’s chemical formula is H2O, not HO2; water at room temperature is typically a liquid rather than always a solid; and surface water isn’t sourced only from the ocean—precipitation, runoff, rivers, lakes, and groundwater discharge all contribute.